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Mom has dementia and is not able to make financial decisions any more. Mom lives at an assisted living and has called 911 because she sees things that are not happening like smoke coming out of her chair. She has also managed to order home delivery, stating she is paying with cash and repeatedly gives out my brothers phone number when her credit card collectors call her to make financial arrangements.


My concern is her not having the ability to call and talk to her siblings and friends if we take away the cell phone, but if she keeps it what if she gives out sensitive information to someone who could take advantage of it?

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At both Moms rehab and NH there is a landline in view of the front desk or nursing station that residents can use. If yours doesn’t have a communal one ask the Nursing station if she could occasionally use their station phone with their help.to only call a few approved numbers. I would then lose the cell phone.
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Time to get rid of the cell. If you haven't yet, time to invoke the POA, that I hope someone has. Your Mom is losing reality. Her dreams, TV and reality will be all one and the same. Its not fair to 911, she is keeping someone who really needs help from getting it. Just pocket the phone when she doesn't see it. Tell her she must have lost it or take the battery out and tell her it must need a new one. Then take the phone on the pretense of getting a new battery. When she asks about it tell her you haven't been able to find a battery or its in the shop. Eventually, she will forget.

If people want to talk to her, have them visit.
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You might check on phones for kids that only allows them to press a button to connect to preset numbers. No keypad. LG Migo, KidsConnect, KISA, Firefly. Some of them do have a big emergency button and what I'd do is find a way to disable that particular button with a little carefully placed Super Glue.
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Sparkle1 Oct 2018
Thank you! That is a great idea and one that would work for us wonderfully!
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Are you near enough to arrange a time when you might visit and have her use your phone for the calls to relatives knowing ahead their schedule so she could reach them? I would only suggest doing this twice a week at most?
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Sparkle1 Oct 2018
This is a great idea and I will do this when I’m up to see her! Thank you!
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Thank you for your replies. I checked with her AL and there is not a central phone for her to use. Apparently most of the residence have cell phones. It’s so hard watching mom already lose so much of her independence and now possibly take her phone away. It keeps her in touch with family and friends, most of them do not live close enough to go visit her in person, and yet we want to protect her from causing undue stress or harm . ....
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I'm having the same issue with my mom. Have you found anything that you are happy with?
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